University of Idaho students will go head-to-head Wednesday in a theatric battle of Olympic proportions.
Teams made up of the students will compete in the Homecoming Anthems contest that will be held at 6:30 p.m. Sep. 28 in the International Ballroom of the Bruce Pitman Center.
Each team will produce a 30-second skit that encompasses Vandal pride and this year’s homecoming theme, “Joe for the Gold,” said Homecoming Chair Emily Rasch.
“It is a mid-week pick-me-up. It’s really exciting and really funny,” Rasch said.
The “Jingles,” as the event is normally called, do not need to contain music, Rasch said. They can be a funny skit, a musical number or a combination of the two. If music is incorporated into the skits, participants are asked to have their music pre-approved by the Homecoming Committee to ensure it is appropriate and meets Vandal standards.
Registration is not yet closed, Rasch said. Scripts were due Sunday, but the Homecoming Committee would never turn away a group of Vandals that wanted to participate in homecoming events, she said.
“The skits are always so fun and funny,” Rasch said. “We have a whole panel of judges that consist of faculty, staff, community members and alumni.”
This year, 23 living groups will participate in the event. The participants are broken up into three groups, fraternities, sororities and the Residence Hall Association (RHA), Rasch said.
The teams competing in the event are a part of a week-long competition during Homecoming Week. Rasch said the teams will be judged on three criteria — adherence to the homecoming theme, Vandal pride, creativity and originality.
There are 400 points available from this event based on these criteria, but that doesn’t guarantee the winners will receive all 400 points. The first, second and third place winners receive extra points toward their totals. The winning teams will be announced later in Homecoming Week.
“The theme adds extra excitement to homecoming in general,” Rasch said. “Coming off the amazing Olympics we had, we can bring that spirit back to Moscow.”
Seats filled up fast at the event last year, Rasch said, so students who want to attend should arrive at the International Ballroom early. Anyone who is not already participating can make a last-minute entry by contacting the Homecoming Committee.
“Homecoming is a full week of insane Vandal pride,” Rasch said. “The amount of excitement and pride during this week, it all comes together.”
Kevin Neighbors can be reached at [email protected]